Mrs Abington as Miss Prue
Mrs Abington as Miss Prue, 1777
Artist J. Roberts, engraved by J, Thornthwaite
Miss Prue is a young girl from the country, brought to London by her father to meet Ben, the man he has chosen to be her husband. She is part of the sub plot in William Congreve’s play Love for Love (1695), and described by the author as a “silly, awkward country girl”.
At first glance Miss Prue seems over-dressed, as if she has created her outfit from every pretty ribbon, lace or braid that took her fancy. The engraving suggests a variety of colours, a dark gown, with a striped fabric trim attached with large flowers. Her apron is decorated with a similar motif of smaller flowers with a bow on each pocket. The over-decoration continues on her bodice, cuffs and lace bonnet. The overall effect is rather giddy, but this is exactly what the character is, a light-headed country girl. She is like a young teenager blinded by all that London has to offer and unable to resist any of the pretty trinkets.
Miss Prue is likewise unable to resist the attentions of a young rake named Tattle, “a half-witted beau, vain of his amours”, who spots her naiveté and takes the opportunity to tease her by schooling her in the game of love. Longing to fall in love with a handsome young man Prue takes him on face value, and listens to his lesson on how to simper and say no when she means yes.
The engraving depicts the moment when, believing herself in love, Prue tries to persuade her stepmother of Tattle’s affection by parading the snuff box that he has given her. “See you here cousin”, she says “here’s a snuff box; nay there’s snuff in’t; here will you have any?”
By the time she meets the sailor Ben, her intended, “half home-bred, half sea-bred” she is too far gone to take him seriously. Her stepmother bemoans ever letting Prue near Tattle, for “the girl is spoiled already. D’ee think she’ll ever endure a great lubberly tarpaulin? Gad, I warrant you she won’t let him come near her after Mr Tattle”.
Ben’s and Prue’s first meeting, with both characters at cross purposes in the dance of love, proves a disaster, as each completely misunderstands the other. Each time Ben tries to bring his chair nearer to Miss Prue, she moves hers away, a literal dance that was very funny for the audience.
Abington has taken the elements that make up her character and created a costume that presents visually the dizzy, scatterbrained nature of a lively but innocent young girl.